Savoy Cabbage Tart (what keeps you strong)

I can’t even begin to rave enough about local food markets in Barcelona. There is no need – I repeat… NO NEED – to even go to a super market to get your veggies, fruits, cheeses, meats and fish. The market that is closest to us is Mercat Santa Catarina and I could go there every morning every week.

The first thing you notice when walking in is the guy sitting at an old table selling lottery tickets. Always with him on the table: a glass of red liquid with a slice of orange. If you ask me I’d say this is red vermouth since this comes served with lemon and/or orange and sometimes with an olive like a martini. Given that I go to the market in the mornings at around 9am I hope that I am wrong and this is fancied up grape juice 🙂

Early morning you can already hear the chattering of neighbors who meet at the market sitting on the stool at the tapas bar for a quick and casual bite along with the clattering of plates. You see it is mostly an older neighborhood and people like to linger and talk. Nobody is calling out their offers and trying to sell you things around here. During he week it’s quiet and occasionally you see some tourists with their cameras curiously peeking at the olive offerings and trying the different hams – acorn fed or not. It’s the weekends that things can get a bit crazy, albeit not as crazy as Mercat Boqueria right on Las Ramblas. Our usual veggie stand can get busy on a Saturday morning but fret not, there is a system. Like when going to a government office you pull a number and wait until your number is called. And if there is no machine to pull a number, you walk into a shop and ask who is the last one and know your turn is after that person. But know that this can easily get a bit messy – Spanish skills or not!

And the best thing? This morning we got onions, apples, pomegranate, mushrooms, figs, carrots, potatoes, lettuce, aubergine and tomatoes. And what did we pay? 10 euros (about 12 US dollars).

The veggie stand is my favorite in the market along with the olives and the cheeses. And the fish. Oh and the nuts and seeds. And the speciality olive oil and salt shop! Oh who am I kidding, I love all the little shops and stalls! The variety is endless. Delicious strong Manchego or blue cheese, the flavorful Iberico ham. Local pumpkins and squashes, varieties and varieties of mushrooms and seafood from squid to sephia, octopus, local cat fish and sardines. Don’t know what to make for dinner? Head on over to the market and be inspired! See what comes your way and ask the locals for advice.

So this is how we stumbled over this savoy cabbage. Chucked in the corner of the stand with all its leaves and trimmings we spotted it only because we were on a mission to find kale. ‘Como cocina’ I asked the lady in my broken Spanish. And I don’t even know how we even understood her answer since neither the Mr. nor I speak Catalan yet alone Spanish… But basically she was saying this cabbage will keep you strong throughout fall and winter, mui bien, it’s very delicious. Just put it in a pan or add some ham! And there was the birthplace of the idea to make a savory fall savoy cabbage tart.

It’s a heart warmer for sure and though I made a version with no ham you can easily add this to your version of savoy cabbage tart at home.